Wardrobe hatbox



oct. 13, 1931. J, Rr'TTER' JR I WARDROBE HATBOX Filed Nov. 20. 1929 INVEN TOR. Y

772mg TTORNEYS Patented Oct. 13, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JULIUS RITTER, VJR., OF RACINE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO HARTMANN TRUNK COM- i PANY, 0F RACINE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION WISCONSIN WARDROBE HATBOX Application led November 20, 1929. Serial No. 408,500.

This invention relates to-improvements in lwardrobe n hat boxes,- of 4the type adapted to be used by womenas'hand luggage.

It is one of theobjects of the present invention 'to provide apiece of hand luggage having a wardrobe section wherein is mounted an adjustable' clothes rack arranged, when the 4box is opened, to beextended out of the wardrobe sectionfor ready access and inspection of the apparel thereon, and adapted,

f robe hat box andits parts and combinations when the box is closed, to occupy a very compact position within the wardrobe section.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a hat box of the class described having an adjustable clothesrack, releasable means cooperating with the clothes rack for lholding the clothes rack inits folded position within the wardrobe section and maintaining apparel in proper position on the clothes rack.' y

A further object'of the invention is to provide a'wardrobe hat vbox which is of very f simple construction, is strong and durable, and iswell adapted yfor the purposes del' scribed.` 1

With the above and other objectsin view the invention consists of the improved wardas set forth in the thereof. K v y In the accompanying'y drawings in which the same reference characters indicate the claims, and all equivalents same partsin all of the views:

through-the wardrobe hat box in open posi- Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view? tion with the clothes rack shown swung outwardly of the wardrobe o r cover section;

Fig.i 2 is a front viewvof the hat box in vOpen position with the clothes rack held flatly withinthe wardrobe or cover section and the latter secured inan upright relation with respect to the body section;

Fig.l 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the hatbox position shown in Fig. 2

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 2; Y u

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, detail vsectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on line 6+6 of Fig. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings it will appear that the improved wardrobe hat box includes in general a substantially square body section 8, U-shaped in cross-section, and a shallower, Vsubstantially square cover or wardrobe section 9, also U-shaped in cross-section and hinged to the body section by leather or fabric hinge strips 10.

- The body section 8 is formed of a bottom 11, a relatively narrow front 12, a somewhat higher rear 18, and opposed forwardly, downwardly inclined sides 14 between the front and the rear. The interior of said body section is divided by a transverse partition 15, positioned relatively close to the front 12, into a narrow front compartmenty for shoes and small articles `of apparel, and alarge compartment for hats and other articles. Secured to opposite inner side walls of the large compartment are pockets 16, while a pocket 17 is secured to the front surfaceof the partition 15. i

The hinge connection 10 `is between the upper edge of the rear 13 of the body section and a narrow rear flange 18 of the cover sectionj9. In addition to said flange 18 said cover sect-ion includes a flat top 19, a front 20, somewhat higher than therear flange 18, and a pair of OPPOSed sides 21 between the flange 18 vand the front 20, said sides being rearwardly or inwardly tapered.

Pivotally or foldably mounted with respect to the cover section 9 is a clothes rack comprising a pair of supporting arms 22 and a top bar 28 joining theupper or outer ends of the same. The lower e-nd portions of the arms 22 are formed as brackets 22 with lower angular flanges 24 formed with openings 25, for the purpose 'hereinafterto be explained. The bracket portions 22 of the `arms 22 are pivotally secured to opposite inner portions of the sides 2l of the cover section by pivot bolts 26.

A pair of flexible strapsy 27 are secured lat one pairofi'ends to opposite inner, intermediate side portions of the -sides 14 of the body section. v The other end portions of said (straps are're'leasably secured, by means' ofv snap fasteners 28, toopposite, inner, inter;-

mediate side portions of the sides. 221,.v of. the cover section. Inwardly a short" distance from the last-mentioned ends of: the stra-psp the samev are secured to the arms 22 of the clothes.rack. Thekv manner in whic'h said Vstraps are securedk to `the. `ar1ns22z ifs shown 'in detail-.finiFig. 6i and'. it will be notedthat each arm carries abend 29= and a strap: is

V-clampediloetween saidb'andand a depressed' portion 300i the arm.' f.

' r Forthepurpose' odimaintaining the-clothes 1ra-ck in-proper positionwitlrinthe cover section and for holding garments in place on the clothes rack, a strap device or harness 3 1 is provided, Which is substantially-in the ','shape ofi an Hga's shown 4in" Fig. 2. Said ini-the upper or free-end portion of' the cover `se'ctioI/r, While the lower. end-'portions-l of the harness carry hooks 23 for releasabljef engagement-With Vthe openings-'25 in the: bracketseea f Y Vnaman pegaron the wardrobe hat. im

`mayassume the posi-tion shown indFig; 2 and y toV permit the' clothes rack to be swungl'out- 'Wardl'ygwith' respect to thecover sectionl to the vposition shown' infFi-g.- 3 the hooks 33 of the harness -lnust' be f disengaged' andV the harness movedto-i an out ofthe Way position rearwardly of the clothes rack' or'over the, top edge ofl the coversection. In this position yof` the clothes rack and cover section,

-.widelylopened, 'as shown in Fig. l, andthe garments may be readily hung on or removed from thebar 23 of the clothes rack. Itisl also-"expeditious, in this position, to drape garments over the top of the cover section,

andthenw when the garment rack is moved inwardly, the garments may be toldcd onto- ',t'he-bar-Q in correct position very easily. Ii

4thesn'a'pfasteners-28 of flexible straps '-27 be"released,y the cover section-,may be clothes rack Will remain in a substantially vertical position. `V: f

' VVh'en-t'he hat'fboxfis packed and garments vhungonthe clothesy rack said clothes rack is foldedr closely' into the confines of the cover. section, and itis scheld, and the garments held thereon againstdislodgment by the'ha'rness 3 1 which isdrawn'overthe front of' the visible lwhen: the hat box is opened. -From theI foregoing descriptionit will. be4 Y evident that theiniproved Wardrobe hat box clothes rack and hooked to the brackets 24, as shovvn .in Fig. 2. The cover section may then be closed With respect tothe body section and is so held by suitable latches 34. A handlek is secured to the body section for convenience incarryingthe hat box.

'It the 4garments suspended fromgthe bar of the clothes rackl are somewhat long, their lovver end portions may b e extended into the inner portion of the large co'In-partmen-tV of the body section. lThe formation of the cover section .with inwardly tapered side Walls is advantageous in that clothes may hang from Vthe clotliesraclc down Ythe height of the cover section and into ythe body section close toa .substantially level packing sur-face. -Also,

said: cover.y construction makes the lower: edges of garments on the. rack readily accessible and .providesv aco'nvenient.` and lconnnodiious piece oit hand luggage, isstrongand durable, and

is .Welliadapted for@ the purposes described.

What I claim. as; my invention is.;

i. A luggage case, comprisingabody;y section,Vv a1, cover section hingediy connected thereto,` a .clothes rack pivotal-ly. mounted "within the inner corner? portions of the cover section and extending therein lengthwise of thercover. section and movable outwardlyof the outer end portion. of. the; cover. section when the lattergis open, and. flexible means connected to the body; section, the clothes. rack and the cover section for maintaining acer-fy relationship .between said members when thecaseis open.v l

2. A luggage-case, comprisingiabody section, a. cover section -hingedly v connected thereto, a Aclothes" rackl pivotally mounted" Within the inner corner .portions of' the.v cover section extending therein lengthwise of "the cover section and movable outwardly of ther outerA end-portion of; vthe cover section lwhenl the. latter is open, and fiexible means connected between the body section andi-the clothes rackl for-maintaining theI latter Vperpendicularly to the formerfwhen the-caseis open and-also releasably connectedV with the.

cover section. f

3. A luggage case, comprising a compartmental body/sectionhaving slant/ing sides so as to be higher at one end than at the opposite end, a flanged -vcoverfhingedY to :the free edge of'I the higher end of the case and havling itsangesfreversely slantedA relative to thesd'esothe body section, a clothes rack Within-said cover section, said clothes rack comprising a pair ofarms'pivotally connectedat one pair of ends to the inner cornerj portions ofthe cover section, vandfa b'ar'joining the'free'endlportionsof said arms, said clothes rack being movable to a position'entirelywithi'ntl'ie cover section and also being movable to a 'position outward'lyofthecover e section when the latter is o en,iiexib1e means connected between the bo y section and the clothes rack for maintaining the latter perpendicularly to the former when the case is open and also releasably connected with the cover section, and a flexible retaining member secured Within the outer end portion of the cover section and adapted to be stretched over the clothes rack to hold it flatly Within the cover section, Said retaining member having means at its free end portion for releasable hooking engagement with inner interior portions of the cover section.

4. A luggage case, comprising a body section, acover section hingcdly connected thereto, a clothes rack pivotally mounted Within corner portions of the cover section and movable outwardly of the outer end portion of the cover section when the latter is open, and a iexible retaining member secured Within the outer end portion of the cover section andada-pted to be stretched over the clothes rack and garments thereon to hold both the clothes rack and garments Within the cover section, and having means at itsy unsecured end portion for quickly releasable engagement with inner interior portions of the cover section.

In testimony whereof, I aiix my signature.

JULIUS RITTER, J R. 

